What are the best practices for handling date calculations in MySQL queries with PHP?

When handling date calculations in MySQL queries with PHP, it is important to use MySQL's built-in date functions to ensure accurate and efficient calculations. This includes functions such as DATE_ADD, DATE_SUB, and DATE_FORMAT. By utilizing these functions within your SQL queries, you can easily perform date calculations without needing to manipulate dates within your PHP code.

// Example of calculating a future date in MySQL query with PHP
$daysToAdd = 7;
$query = "SELECT DATE_ADD(NOW(), INTERVAL $daysToAdd DAY) AS future_date FROM your_table";
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);

// Fetch and display the result
$row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result);
echo "Future Date: " . $row['future_date'];